Acceptance
by Loz'93
Summary: -POST REVELATION- Reed returns to school after being in hospital from being shot by Sabine. New guys, old friendships, Billings politics and fresh scandals await her. But some people aren't always what they seem... and Reed learns this the hard way.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** These characters are Kate Brian's, not mine. Obviouslah.

**A/N:** This is the first Private fic I've written, and the first fic I've written and uploaded in a long, long time. I intend to update every week or two, depends what's happening with school, work, and just life in general. Hope you enjoy! :)

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**ACCEPTANCE**

**CHAPTER ONE  
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_It was one of those rare moments where everything seemed to stop moving and just… click. Where everything falls into place. The months of worrying, despair and apprehension all came down to this split second of realisation and understanding. Kind of anti-climatic, when you think about it; that I should have to process this newfound information and die in the same minute. Oh well, I've done my part. _

_I barely heard the gunshot before everything went black._

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Beep… beep… beep. The constant noise was right in my ear, getting louder and louder until it was the only thing I could focus on, making it impossible to tune out. As my sense of sound returned to my body, so did everything else that I was feeling and sensing around me. A surprising amount of pain was emanating from my right thigh, and my head was pounding. My heavy eyelids encased tired eyes. I felt so weak. I couldn't move. I was scared. And then my body shut down again…

I don't know how long had passed, but I regained my consciousness once more, and started to hear that awful beeping noise again. I had to will myself to endure the pain and force myself to fully wake up. It was hard, so, so hard. After some intense minutes, I was eventually able to move the tips of my fingers and wiggle my toes. But only doing so sent pain shooting through my legs. I tried and tried to open my eyes, but my body was forcing them shut. Oh, god, I'm a prisoner in my own body.

I lay there for some time, once more becoming aware of the total pain my body was in. I wouldn't allow myself to blank out again; I had to keep conscious. Holding onto that pain and still being able to hear that beeping noise was the only way I knew I hadn't drifted off. I soon felt my eyes flickering, like they had a mind of their own, wanting to escape the darkness we were in. Despite the easy flickering, the weight of my eyelids was intense. Never before had it taken so much effort to complete a task that should be effortless. But finally I did it; I'd opened my eyes… just before they shut again. I tried again and this time was easier. The third time I opened my eyes, they stayed open, allowing me to take in my surroundings.

I had already discerned by now that I was in a hospital, but I do not remember why. The fluorescent lights shined down, making everything look incredibly bright. But the brightness of it all could just be because my eyes have been shut for god knows how long. I was situated in a small room with white and light brown wallpaper with a small window on the wall to my right. I could see drips and medical equipment in various places around the room, which freaked me out a little. Bunches of flowers and gifts were adorned all around the room. But none of that mattered at this point, all I cared about was the answer to the question: Why was I here?

I could hear a sombre voice in the distant, getting progressively louder and closer. A couple of other voices were with this one, but these sounded younger and more distraught. Please, let me know those voices, I need to find out what happened. I could hear the beeping sound speeding up ever so slightly as my breathing got shorter and I started to panic.

The door to my room opened slowly and in stepped three people. I had to squint to try and work out who they were; my eyesight hadn't completely adjusted to the brightness of my room yet.

"Reed! You're awake!"

"Oh, thank god!"

"Reed!"

By the sound of their voices, I'd figured out who they were. The deeper voice was my father's; the younger two were Noelle and Josh's. They all looked normal: Noelle as drop dead gorgeous and Josh as cute and ruffled as usual. Dad looked like he'd aged ten years with worry, but as soon as he saw my face, his lightened up with joy, softening his features. My heart expanded more than I'd ever think was possible in that one moment. A rush of pure love and joy consumed my body.

"Hi, you guys," I croaked. I had a thousand questions I'd wanted answered, but in that one moment nothing mattered more than seeing three of the people I loved the most. The questions could wait.

"I can't believe this. Someone please tell me that she's actually awake and I'm not dreaming," gushed Noelle. I swear I could see tears well up in her dark eyes.

"You're not dreaming, believe me. The pain in my leg is enough to convince me of that," I said. I smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Oh, Reed, I'm so happy you're okay. I knew you'd make it through, you're a trooper, but I can't deny that I was really worried back there for a moment. After a week and still not waking up, I thought I could lose you." My dad spoke to me like I was the most precious thing in the world. He gave my hand a squeeze and smiled down at me with all the love I could ever ask for. Unlike Noelle who looked like she might cry, dad was actually crying with silent tears rolling down his face. I squeezed his hand back, noticing how much effort that took.

Josh just stayed silent throughout this whole exchange. He looked like he wanted to say a million things, but couldn't find the right words to say any of them. All he did was reach down and kiss my forehead. My heart did a little dance as I realised he was touching me. The kiss was so soft, so tender, I couldn't believe I'd ever let him go.

"I've been in here for over a week?" I said. Shit, I seriously need to find out what happened. "What happened?"

The three of them exchanged looks. Each look spoke volumes of "she doesn't _remember_? How much should we tell her?" They all looked down, facing me. From where I was lying, they all looked impossibly tall. Sadness filled their eyes.

"Do you remember anything?" Asked Noelle. "Like, at all?"

Did I remember anything? I honestly didn't know which things I remembered, and which things my mind was unconsciously letting me forget. I tried to think back to those moments that caused me to end up in here. At first I couldn't find anything, but as I was just about to give up and say I couldn't remember anything, the strangest thing happened.

Memories were flashing in my mind, like a strobe light was on and each time the light flashed a new picture would emerge, a different memory. I closed my eyes as I digged deeper, allowing the images to surface.

I was racing towards a party, with Ivy following me. I was looking for someone… who was it? Come on think harder, Reed. That's right! Sabine. I was trying to confront her about something… about a picture. The picture was important, some missing clue for Cheyenne's death. I gasped out loud and opened my eyes as the full implication of what had happened hit me. Sabine was Arianna's sister; Sabine had been stalking me for months… Sabine had shot me!

As soon as I gasped, dad reached down to hold me and make sure I was okay. I held a shaking hand over my mouth as the vision of her pulling the trigger replayed over and over in my mind.

"Oh, my god, where is she? Did she escape? Is she with the police? WHERE IS SHE?" I was breathing shallowly, gasping for air. My mind was racing as every detail of that night came flooding back.

"Shh, shh, it's okay Reed, she's gone," Noelle said, brushing back my hair from my face and cupping my cheek in her cool hand. "The police took her into custody and she's been placed in a juvenile detention facility. She's gone, she can't hurt you now."

My heart slowed and my breathing returned to normal as I realised I wasn't under any direct threat from her. But then another detail hit me. I remember seeing the gun pointed at my chest when she pulled the trigger, straight to my heart. So why was my leg hurting like hell?

Josh must have seen the question cross my face because he answered the question without me ever having to ask it. "Just before she pulled the trigger, I jumped and pushed Sabine down, trying to alleviate the gun so it wouldn't hit you. The bullet reached your thigh, not your chest. I'm so sorry I couldn't push the gun away completely, I still hurt you, Reed." He looked down, fiddling with his thumbs so he wouldn't have to look at my face.

I can't believe he's tearing himself up like this! If it wasn't for him, I don't know what would have happened...

"Josh," I said. "Don't be like this. If you hadn't have done that, the bullet would have killed me! Josh, you saved my life." I reached over and squeezed his hand and then lifted his chin so he could meet my gaze. He squeezed my hand and went on:

"The doctors say that the bullet missed some vital areas in your leg by a few millimetres, so it should just heal and you'll be able to walk around in no time." Josh smiled his crooked, warm smile once more and I sighed in relief. He truly was an angel.

"And I can't imagine what would have happened if he didn't knock over that bitch. I don't think anyone does. Reed Brennan, you are one _extremely_ lucky girl." Noelle stated with another smile. There was so much smiling all around. It was kind of making me delirious.

But it wasn't just luck, I thought, it was love. I knew Josh loved me, because love isn't just words, it's actions. And risking yourself to save somebody like that was the ultimate form of love.

If only _he_ knew how much he loved me.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** These characters are Kate Brian's, not mine. Obviouslah.

**A/N:** Thank you to the reviews, they made me smile. ^__^ I decided to upload this chapter earlier than I thought I would, as it's a bit of a filler and I want to upload the more exciting chapters soon. So... just bear with me through this chapter, and the next chapter is where we'll get down to business. Hope you enjoy!

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**CHAPTER TWO**

It was strange that, despite the ordeal I'd gone through, an odd sense of tranquillity had overcome my mind. Or maybe that was just the morphine. But even so, finally being able to sleep and talk and breathe and just _live_ without the constant threats and reminders of Cheyenne was definitely a plus. Having said that, though, I don't think the real sense of relief and freedom will hit me until I go back to Easton and live my life as I should: a normal high school student.

Noelle, dad and Josh stayed with me for about half an hour. They could tell I was getting tired and wanting to have a rest, so they decided to leave me in peace. I think I had fallen asleep before they shut the door behind them. It's a bit silly, isn't it, that after spending ten days in a coma (Dad finally answered how long I had been unconscious for) all you want to do is sleep. My mind wanted to go out and party and see all my friends, but my body was exhausted.

About five minutes after I had woken up from my rest, a doctor walked in to my room. He looked as though he was in his late twenties and had windswept, mocha coloured hair. He was wearing khaki pants and a sky blue and white pinstriped business shirt with a white doctor's overcoat. With a set of blindingly white teeth and piercing blue eyes, he looked like he should be on the set of a soap opera, not treating sick patients in the real world.

It was just my luck to have such an incredibly good-looking guy to treat me when I didn't want _any_ distractions to divert my attention from Josh. _You only want Josh, Reed, _I told myself._ Don't fall for this doctor_.

"Hello, Miss Brennan, my name is Dr. Mason Phelps and I've been looking after you for the past ten days." He held out his hand for me to shake, which I took without saying anything. I was too absorbed by his good looks to make my mouth move in an answering greeting. _Stop, Reed, you look like an idiot_! "Now, when you first arrived here at the hospital, you'd already lost a large amount of blood and the bullet was still wedged in your thigh. We performed surgery straight away to remove the bullet and then placed you in an induced coma. After a few days we lifted the coma and allowed you to recover on your own time, so here we are. How are you feeling?"

Mason looked at the read out of the heart monitor, the source of the annoying beeping noise. He was nodding his head, and I took that as a positive sign. He then looked up at me expectantly. Oh, shit! I forgot to answer his question; I was too busy watching what he was doing. "Oh, yeah, I'm feeling okay." I rushed to answer, "just really tired and my leg hurts like hell, but it's all good." I gave him a smile and I was rewarded with one of his own.

"Yes, your thigh _is_ healing, at quite a rapid rate as well, but it still will be a while before you're out playing lacrosse and soccer again." He must've talked to Noelle or something, how else we he have known I played those sports? He continued, "You're lucky it missed any major arteries and bones, very lucky. And because it didn't, the wound will only take about four to six weeks to heal. You will be on crutches for those weeks, and then you will attend regular physiotherapy to make sure full movement is restored to your leg."

He's got to be kidding…_ four to six weeks_? That's long enough to drive me insane! I just wanted this whole ordeal over; I just want to forget it all. And that will be tough if I'm psychically reminded of it every day for the next six weeks. I sighed, it's annoying, but inevitable.

"Okay. That's still frustrating but it could have been a whole lot worse." He nodded his understanding and continued speaking.

"You'll be discharged from hospital within the next three to five days and be able to return to school. If you need anything, give me a buzz." With a point to the service button on my bedside table and one last dazzling smile, he walked out and left me alone in my room.

I took a deep breath and pushed myself up so my back was propped up against the headboard. I took a long look at all the beautiful flowers and cards people had given me, which were lined up on the small table at the edge of the room. There were so many bunches of flowers that the ones that couldn't fit on the table and the end of the room were left on my bedside table, and then the ones that couldn't fit _there_ were placed on windowsill to my right. It's incredible that at school one minute, only a select few are talking to you, then as soon as you're in hospital, everyone you know sends you gifts. This might be their way of saying sorry, and I'll accept that. But I'm not going to be bought over by a bunch of flowers. The Billings girls have some serious sucking up to do!

I absentmindedly picked up a card on my bedside table. In it, it read:

_To Reed,_

_I hope you get well soon! _

_As soon as you're out of hospital, you're coming straight back to Billings and never leaving ever again. I'm so sorry for everything you've been through in the past few weeks, but I promise we'll make it up to you tenfold. _

_Billings sisters forever! _

_Amberly xox._

Ergh, what right did Amberly have to say those things to me? She had never once been nice to me since she was accepted into Billings! And since when were we 'Billings sisters'? That girl seriously made me sick. I placed her card face down on the bedside table and allowed myself to calm down, taking deep breaths.

My bitter mood evaporated instantly when my mom walked into the room. I hadn't seen her in weeks and I didn't realise how much I'd missed her until that moment.

"Mom!" I squealed, "It's so good to see you!"

She instantly rushed over when she saw I was awake and gave me a gentle, motherly hug. Just like dad, her face had been stricken with worry.

"Oh, Reed, baby, how are you? Is your leg all right? Do you feel faint? Want anything to eat?" She was fussing all over me, fluffy up my pillow and straightening my blankets.

"Calm down, mom, I'm doing fine. Nothing is too seriously sore at the moment." I said in a brave voice to show her how truly fine I _was_ doing. If I spoke softly or if I sounded like I was in pain, she'd only fuss more. She then gazed at me like she hadn't seen me in months and I reached up to give her another hug. A single tear leaked out of my eye as I realised how much I had truly missed her.

"The doctor says you should be out of here in the next few days. Do you want to come back home for a couple of weeks before you head back out to school? It could do you some good." She asked with genuine interest. She wasn't forcing the idea onto me, but she was advising it.

I slowly shook my head and I could see in her eyes that it hadn't been the answer she wanted. "I'm sorry, mom, but I think the sooner I get back into a normal routine, the better. Plus, I have finals coming up that I can't miss and… I really do just want to go back to school."

She nodded in understanding. "Fair enough. But you know, if you _ever_ want to come home for a visit…"

"I know, mom. I know."

Mum stayed with me for about an hour, and we just chatted about everything. I opened up to her about everything that has happened over the last few months, telling her all about Cheyenne, Sabine and the stalking. It was hard for me to talk about it in parts, but it was the best feeling to get it off my chest. And opening up to someone who loved me unconditionally was the wisest choice I could make. Therefore I know no bitchy rumours, or twisted stories would reach anyone else's ears. These feelings I was opening up to was for my mom's ears only, and I knew it would stay like that.

"Reed, I'm so proud of you." Mom said when I had finished saying everything I wanted to. She took my hand in hers and continued, "You are one of the bravest people I know to have gone through that all without doing anything drastic. But I wish you had told someone about all the stalking situations! No one should have to go through that alone!"

"Yeah, I realise that now. But at the time I thought it was best to keep it secret and hope it would go away. If anything like this happens again, and I pray to god it doesn't, I will be making sure I tell _everybody_." I think my attempt at humour was lost on mom. She was too caring and protective to even smile at the idea of something like this happening again. She just gave my hand a squeeze and kissed my forehead.

"I love you darling, don't forget that." She said to me.

"I won't, mom. I love you too." I replied.

I yawned a giant yawn, not realising how tired I was until that moment. Mom noticed this and slowly stood up, stroked my hair a couple of times and left my room, allowing me to have another sleep.

I fell asleep that night thinking of mom, dad, Noelle, Josh, Constance and Astrid, along with all my other Billings sisters, Marc and, to my own surprise, Ivy Slade.

Falling asleep, thinking about all the people I love.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** These characters are Kate Brian's, not mine. Obviouslah.

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**CHAPTER THREE**

"Reed!"

"Oh, my God, you're back!"

"I've missed you so much!"

"This is so exci—"

Astrid's greeting was cut off as a body slammed into me and engulfed me in the biggest bear hug I have ever received.

"Ow, ow, ow!" I yelped. It was more of an automatic reaction than it actually hurting. As soon as I said anything, the body let go of me and Constance's concerned face met mine.

"I'm so sorry, Reed, did I hurt you?"

"No, it's okay, honey. I'm fine. Just… handle me with care." I laughed, "I should really stick a 'FRAGILE' sticker on my forehead, shouldn't I?"

The girls all around me laughed with broad, grinning smiles and shining, bright eyes. I finally had the chance to look up and absorb my surroundings. I was standing in the Billings foyer and had barely taken three steps inside. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed this place until I was actually inside of it again. I breathed in and smelt the familiar, oak smell of Billings and did a quick roll call in my head. The only Billings girl that wasn't there was Sabine. Not that she actually counted as a Billings girl, or a human being for that matter, considering what she'd put me through these last few months. And, with disgust, I saw Amberly standing there among the ranks. I didn't even want to focus on her at the moment; so instead, I turned to Noelle and surreptitiously nodded my head in the direction of the dorm rooms upstairs. She winked in understanding and shushed everyone around us.

Taking control of the situation, she cleared her throat then proceeded to say, "Okay, Reed has a lot of unpacking to do and I doubt she wants you guys all up in her space at the moment. So, Reed and I are going to unpack and we'll catch up with you guys later."

The girls nodded their understanding. They knew Noelle and I had a long chat ahead of us, and I guess a lot of the girls didn't want to be a part of that chat either, seeing as there is a minuscule chance of that chat turning nasty. With the help of Constance and Astrid, Noelle carried my bags and items I own upstairs and allowed me to use my crutches to walk up.

When we reached my dorm room, I was about to open the door when Noelle stopped me.

"Nu, uh," she said. "Shut your eyes, and don't peak." Her eyes were sparkling with mischief and a small smile touched her lips. Almost bursting with curiosity, I wanted to ask her what she'd done. But instead, I followed her orders and shut my eyes. When they were shut I could hear the door opening and Noelle stepping inside.

"Okay, come forward, but only take a couple steps because I seriously don't want you to fall over and hurt your other leg. Come on!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming." I replied. I took two unsteady steps into the room, using my crutches for support, and called out to Noelle, "Okay, now can I open them."

"Alright, on the count on three. One… Two… Three!"

As she said 'three', I opened my eyes and was completely startled with what I saw.

What I had expected to see was Amberly's bright, preppy, pastel coloured pillows and ugly porcelain dolls. I had expected to see the walls covered with pictures of her and her sister, and that Disney princess-like tent she had hanging over her bed. But, instead, I was pleasantly surprised.

All of my posters and photographs had already been pinned up on the cream coloured walls, and my books, yes; _my_ books were lined up against _my_ desk. The place wasn't decorated with a twelve-year-old in mind, but instead look sophisticated and classy. Someone had returned my personal items to where they were originally, but had also upgraded my room with a new bedside table, new curtains and a dark mocha coloured, expensive looking computer chair. But that wasn't all. On the other side of the room where Sabine's stuff had been, I noticed a familiar looking duponi comforter and a selection of clutches and purses that I definitely recognized.

I was rooming with Noelle.

"You're… you're living with me?" I asked, excitement filling my eyes and voice. My best friend and I were sharing a dorm room! This was such good news!

"Duh, Glass-lic— oh wait, you don't want me calling you that anymore, do you?" She grinned as she walked over to Constance and Astrid who were standing at the door. "You two can go now, thanks for bringing up the bags."

They smiled one last smile at me before exiting the room and shutting the door. _At last_, I thought, _Noelle and I were alone to sort things out_. As much as I loved those two, talking to Noelle was more important right now.

"This is unbelievable! I thought I was going to have to room with Amberly." I said her name with disgust. God, that girl was annoying.

"Not quite," Noelle said. "I knew you two weren't exactly 'best buds' right now, so I took it into my liberty to organize us to swap rooms. That girl's so eager; she'd do anything I'd ask her to. Although, I'd have to day, she was a little pissed off when she found out that I'd swapped in favour of you." Noelle grinned.

I laughed at that and went to sit down on my bed. "How'd you get everything hung up and organized in here if my bags were with me all along?" I asked, gesturing nonchalantly at my bags near the door.

"If you actually checked in those bags, you'd notice there isn't much in them; just some clothes from the hospital and your laptop. And since you weren't able to carry anything and feel that they were empty, you would have never guessed. And you didn't, might I add." She winked, "All we had to do was just make it _look_ like stuff _was_ in there. Clever, eh?"

"Very clever," I replied. Noelle Lang: The Greatest Schemer In The World.

"Anyway," Noelle continued somewhat gravely, her cheerful demeanor evaporating almost instantly. "We need to talk."

When I was in hospital, I knew a conversation would be in order. I knew it would involve a lot of explaining and sorting things out. I had been both eager for the talk, and a little nervous about it at the same time. This talk would be the moment of truth, everything that had happened over the last few months needed to be cleared, and we both knew it. I was ready for that.

Nodding my head in agreement, I motioned for her to continue.

"Okay," Noelle started, taking a deep breath. "Let's start at The Legacy. You and Dash hooked up and almost had sex, right?"

I nodded again, feeling very small and exceedingly guilty in that one moment. In true Noelle style, it was blunt and straight to the point. But before I could say anything else, she shushed me and continued talking… well interrogating was more like it.

"But you were both under the influence of, not only alcohol, but Ecstasy as well... all because of that bitch, Sabine. This is correct?"

Once again, I nodded, without even trying to get a word in.

"That makes it half decent. I knew you guys had been flirting and whatnot over email, but I also know you're loyal enough to not want to take it any further than that, especially to your best friend. So, for now, I'm not going to hold a grudge against you for this. It was… almost inevitable." Noelle finished with a little sniff. She looked very brave in that one moment, but I could still see the smallest hint of vulnerability in her eyes. She loved Dash, but she also loved me, and she didn't want a night of drunkenness and drugs to change two years of friendship.

"Thank you, Noelle." I said softly.

"But, moving on," she continued, sounding less police-like, and speaking like a best friend would. "I'd really like to hear about the stalking escapades. If it's too hard to talk about, don't worry, but honey, I just want to be here for you!"

I was a little taken aback by the change in tone and question, but I didn't want to keep the information from her. I knew I'd have to explain it all to Noelle soon enough, and since it was, for the most part, fresh in my mind, today was the best day for it. Before I could change my mind, I took a deep breath and retold my story. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu because the setting and words were almost identical to that of when I was talking to mom and explaining the story to her. Mom and I had been sitting on my hospital bed, just like Noelle and I were sitting on my dorm bed, and Noelle had her hands clasped together under her chin, listening intently, just as mom had done four days earlier.

Retelling the story was a lot easier today than it had been when I told it previously. I think that was because I'd already spilled my emotions and feelings out once, it wasn't very hard to do again. The only difference between now and when I'd been speaking to mom was that I didn't have to explain things like who Sabine was or what Billings dorm was. This made it a little easier as I didn't have to interrupt my tale every few seconds to explain something.

When I finally finished, the sun had set outside, and it was nearing dinnertime. We sat in silence for a few moments, allowing us to take in what had been said. I gazed out the window, with a single, silent tear rolling down my cheek before falling into my lap. Noelle fiddled with the edge of the quilt thrown over my bed. Noelle was the one who broke the silence.

"Well, " she started, "That was definitely… eye opening. Babe, I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone. You know I would have helped you out. If anything, and I mean _anything_ ever happens like that again, you have to come to me first, all right?"

Noelle was looking at me straight in the eye, daring me to fight her on it. I knew it would be pointless if I tried, and frankly, she _would_ be the first person I'd go to, anyway. Nodding my head, I said, "I will. I never want to have to go through that alone. Ever."

She army crawled over to me on the bed and gave me a huge hug. The hug was filled with friendship, forgiveness, understanding and just _love_. Noelle Lange was back; my best friend was back. And she wasn't leaving.

"Come on, we'll miss dinner if we don't get moving soon." She said. She smiled down at me and we both swung our legs off the bed, me with help from Noelle. I grabbed my crutches and hobbled down the stairs to the foyer where Astrid, Kiki, Rose and Constance were just leaving to go down to dinner.

"Wait up, guys," I called. "We're coming with you!"

The girls looked to where we were coming down the stairs, all cheered and waited for us to join them so we could link arms. Well, Noelle could link their arms; I could just kind of hop along in the centre of the line.

Ahh, all is good in the world!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As we neared the dining hall, a sense of anxiousness erupted from the pit of my stomach. It felt like hundreds of butterflies were flying around on crack in my stomach. I'm not even sure why I was so nervous, but I was. It was probably because I was about to face people I hadn't spoken to in weeks. Or maybe it was because it was my first real meal back on campus. Or perhaps it was because Josh and Ivy were going to be together in there somewhere, and I did _not_ want to see that.

Noelle noticed my hesitation to walk through the door. So did the other girls. Everyone but Noelle gave me a variety of smiles, encouraging hand squeezes and I got even a hug from Astrid, before walking through the oak doors. They knew I was nervous, and they didn't want me to psyche me out. I let them to walk on through, and allowed myself to take a deep breath.

I couldn't go in there.

"Noelle, I don't think I'm hun-" I started, but was cut off by Noelle almost immediately.

"Oh, bullshit! I can tell when you're hungry, and right now, you're freaking starving! It won't be that bad, trust me." She was looking at me very sternly. Damn Noelle, she's knows me way too well!

I sighed, and allowed her to walk in front of me, so she could open the doors for me.

It was worse than I had expected. Far worse.

As soon as I took one, hobbling step into that huge, luxurious cafeteria, the whole room fell silent. Someone could have dropped a _feather_ and everyone would have heard it.

Why do these things always have to happen to me!

I could see the faces of the Billings girls smiling encouragingly at me (with the exception of Missy), but everyone else's was a different story. Most seemed to have stopped mid chew and frozen in place with a look of surprise and cruel excitement on their faces. A couple looked smug as they noticed my cast (_Do that many people really _want_ me to be in pain?_), and even fewer had the decency to hastily look away from me and start eating again after they'd been caught staring in the first place.

Turning away from the curious faces, I walked, well hopped, with Noelle by my side towards the food line. Noelle was fiercely glaring at anyone who dared to look at us. Slowly, the room started to return to its normal volume, and everyone seemed to chat amongst themselves. But side-glances still met us every few seconds. Not only that, but I could tell that the students of Easton were talking about me, instead of what they had been talking about a minute ago.

"'It won't be that bad'," I mimicked what Noelle had said just a few moments earlier with a sullen glare in her direction. "It's about as bad as me walking in with a third leg and a shaved head!"

All she did was shrug. "They'll ease up in a second. It's Easton, what'd you expect?"

"So what you said out there," I motioned to the hall outside the oak doors. "Was just a lie?"

"Not exactly. I said it wouldn't be 'that bad', not that it's wouldn't be great, either."

"Uh, you're crazy." I said with an exasperated sigh and a shake of the head.

"Crazy's what I do best!" she replied. With that, she managed to make me share a tiny smile.

With Noelle carrying two trays full of pasta, garlic bread, salad and soda, we walked, or in my case, hopped over to the Billings table. I took my regular seat near the end of the table and Noelle sat in her regular seat, opposite me. I glanced around to see what the other Billings girls were doing. Kiki, Astrid and Rose were chatting animatedly and killing themselves laughing about God knows what at the other end of the table, while Missy, Lorna, Portia and Shelby had their heads together, talking in hushed, urgent whispers.

"What's the new scandal, girls?" Noelle asked. She gave me a single, confused look before turning her attention back to the four of them.

The girls seemed really reluctant to share what they were saying. "Well…" began Lorna. She _really_ didn't want to share.

"Come on, tell us already!" I demanded. I'd turned paranoid. I had an urgency to know exactly what they were saying. And I had no idea why.

It was Missy who finally spoke up. Of course it would be Missy. If anyone enjoyed giving me bad news, it was definitely her. "We were just discussing the presidency of Billings, actually." She sniffed once through her hefty nostrils. Addressing Noelle rather smugly, she continued, "Since Reed's back, we weren't sure whether she should reclaim her presidency, or whether you should keep it."

Oh. Shit.

* * *

**A/N:** Again, a big thanks for the reviews before! :)

Bit of a longer chapter, and I must say I like writing these longer ones better than the previous, shorter installments.

In the next chapter I promise Josh and Ivy will make an appearance; I can't bear to write much more without them.

'Til then,

~Loz


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